Widow Chick

July 16th, 2013
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I don’t know the woman who writes the amazing blog called “Widow Chick” but I feel as if I do.
She (aka Catherine) is to-the-core honest and humorous in writing about her daily travels as a widow and a woman who is trying to be Mom and Dad to three young children.  I regularly read her blog and it always gives me a boost!
Widow Chick’s Husband
Yesterday she wrote a particularly touching post about an important anniversary in her life and I would like to share it with you because she is right on point in expressing her thoughts … Read More

Road Trip — Traveling Alone

June 27th, 2013
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I was chatting with one of my friends recently and catching up with the happenings in her life.  We hadn’t spoken for a few months so there was a lot to talk about.  Her husband died about three years ago and she was telling me about the adjustments and bumps in the road that her new life was presenting for her. One big issue was vacation. Sounds great, right?  Easy, right? Just do it, right? Welllllll, it’s not as easy as it sounds if you are still getting used to the idea that you are doing things by yourself.  She… Read More

What Am I About?

May 16th, 2013
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One of the presents that my insightful son gave me for Mother’s Day is a book about blogging. From the very first post I wrote, he has always been my biggest supporter.  I love it! He is always asking me what I am going to write about and I run ideas by him to get a younger point of view and I also ask him for permission to write about him or something he said or did.  Some writers would disagree with requesting permission from him but I feel it is the polite thing to do and asking also prevents… Read More

Tax Day

April 15th, 2013
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Today is dreaded Tax Day which means that people in the United States must file individual tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service. Not to worry for those who aren’t prepared to file your taxes today.  The IRS allows you to file an extension which gives you until October 15 to file.  Thank goodness right?  There is more time if you need it! Taxes are confusing under even the most normal of circumstances.  According to CBS News, the U.S. tax code is more than 73,000 pages long. Just figuring out what to pay eats up an estimated 6.1 billion hours… Read More

Nutritionally Yours

March 1st, 2013
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  The loss of a loved one can literally take your appetite away. You find that you can barely get out of bed and food is not appealing at all.  You feel as though you are walking through cotton candy.  All of your senses seem dulled and off.Sadly, these symptoms are considered to be pretty normal for a person grieving. I remember at the reception after my husband’s funeral I really didn’t want anything to eat.  I had a yogurt before going to the church for the funeral mass but that was about all I could handle.  People kept giving… Read More

Silver Linings Playbook

February 25th, 2013
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Bradley Cooper & Jennifer Lawrence I applaud the beautiful and sensitive movie, Silver Linings Playbook, which came away from the Academy Awards last night with Jennifer Lawrence winning an Oscar for Best Actress. I had heard a lot about this movie before I recently saw it and I blown away by it.  Silver Linings Playbook definitely lived up to its reputation as a solid, slightly edgy, movie and it stands out because its story and its actors are courageous and hopeful.  The movie shines a light on two subjects that make people uncomfortable: grieving and mental health, and weaves these… Read More

Calgon, Take Me Away

April 5th, 2012
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The world around us can be dynamic and sometimes intense. If channeled in a positive direction, being around people who are intense and dynamic or situations that are dynamic and intense can be a good thing; even a great thing.  It can be the fuel that gets the creative juices started and sometimes can bring about breakthroughs or solutions in otherwise stuck situations. But if you are already feeling overloaded or overwhelmed by being the single parent (either widowed or divorced) who works full-time, takes care of the house, the children and the finances, then maybe for your own sake… Read More

Julie Potter — Sibley Hospital Angel

July 1st, 2011
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I write today about a special woman named Julie Potter who played a pivotal role in putting me and many others on the path to resilience. Today is Julie’s last day at Sibley Hospital and I know that she will be missed quite a lot; especially by me!!!!!  True to her nature, Julie always downplays her valuable contributions and the vast resources she has set up at Sibley to help others. Besides her primary responsibilities at Sibley’s Senior Services department, Julie also oversees the Widowed Persons Outreach (WPO) bereavement group.  For 21 years, Julie has reached out to help people… Read More

Home Sweet Home — Options For Housing Alternatives

April 23rd, 2011
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For some reason, people think that becoming a widow and moving to a new place to live go hand-in-hand.  I’m not quite sure why this is, but it’s one of the most common questions asked of a newly widowed person.  In fact, someone once joked that maybe real estate agents and funeral directors network off the same list of people. I guess the questions, “When are you moving?” or “When are you selling your house?” are asked so often because people may be nervous about what to say around you so they end up blurting out questions like these.  Or… Read More